The Los Angeles Clippers traded point guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, but the move could trigger an unforeseen domino effect. While the deal brought back Darius Garland, it could signal a reset for a franchise that has had NBA Championship aspirations since the 2019-20 season.
If owner Steve Ballmer and the Clippers front office are beginning to think about the future, superstar Kawhi Leonard could be on the move next.
The organization may also be motivated to distance itself from Leonard, who was infamously embroiled in a cap circumvention scandal during the offseason, a factor that could once again put him back on the trade market.
There are a lot of roadblocks in place, including a $50 million per year contract with a no-trade clause that would allow Leonard to veto any deal that is sent the Clippers’ way. However, there are a few contenders who could push their chips all-in and make a serious push for one of the league’s biggest stars.
Below, we’ll uncover some of the top trade destinations for Leonard at the deadline.
Detroit Pistons
Detroit has a legitimate shot at winning an NBA title this season, and Leonard would arguably be the Pistons’ best fit among the superstars available at the trade deadline.
Leonard is exactly what this iteration of the Pistons needs to compete for a championship — an elite shot-maker and a plus-defender who can elevate his game in the NBA Playoffs.
Kawhi fits the Pistons identity and would be a huge win-now swing by the front office, but even if the trade doesn’t work out, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Leonard would be one of the biggest available expiring contracts at next year’s trade deadline and could still fetch enough in return to make this a viable move.
With a sizable 5.5-game lead in the East and home-court advantage looming throughout the playoffs, this might be the Pistons’ best chance to win an NBA title, which could be enough to sway Leonard to waive his no-trade clause.
Houston Rockets
Houston already made a splash during the offseason by acquiring Kevin Durant but adding Leonard to the equation would undoubtedly make the Rockets one of the league’s scariest teams come playoff time.
The Rockets have enough intriguing pieces to make a deal worthwhile for the Clippers. A package involving some combination of Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard would likely be enough to move the needle and give the Rockets a potential superteam centered around two future Hall of Famers.
Getting the salaries to match might be difficult, especially if Fred VanVleet vetoes a potential deal to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Lakers
This might be the least likely scenario of the bunch, but Leonard has voiced his preference to stay in the Los Angeles area.
Teaming up with Luka Doncic would immediately vault the Lakers into the shortlist of NBA title contenders in the Western Conference, especially if the Clippers aren’t interested in a Kawhi-LeBron swap.
The Lakers can put together a mix of expiring contracts that allows the money to work and dangle Austin Reaves as a potential sweetener if they are serious about getting a deal done.
